Combining the diverging modes of playfulness with a more serious convergent way of being. Try not to fall into the trap of thinking that these states are absolute. All this from a serious professional adult who is, at times, playful.

Friday, May 27, 2011

No organization cares about you. Organizations aren't capable of this.
Your bank, certainly, doesn't care. Neither does your HMO or even your car dealer. It's amazing to me that people are surprised to discover this fact.
People, on the other hand, are perfectly capable of caring. It's part of being a human. It's only when organizational demands and regulations get in the way that the caring fades.
If you want to build a caring organization, you need to fill it with caring people and then get out of their way. When your organization punishes people for caring, don't be surprised when people stop caring.
When you free your employees to act like people (as opposed to cogs in a profit-maximizing efficient machine) then the caring can't help but happen.

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About Me

I'm a young person intent on learning about the world and thinking about the the way things are. It turns out that I like writing about books as a way to remember them. I also really like making things but often don't get around to it. This is where I'll post these notes to myself, and where I'm keeping other cool ideas I come across on the net. Please feel welcome to enter into the conversation. However, as this is more of a personal record then hot point social commentary, say it nice or don't say anything at all.